Regulating device for electric current generators



Dec. 29, 1942. F. MENZEL 2,306,893

REGULATING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC CURRENT GENERATORS Filed March 22, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v 1942- F. MENZEL 2,306,893 I REGULATING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC CURRENT GENERATORS Filed March 22, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 iii 5 Patented Dec. 29, 1942 UNITED REGULATING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC CURRENT GENERATORS Friedrich Menzel, Stuttgart, Germany; vested in the Alien Property Custodian Application March 22, 1939, Serial No. 263,496 In Germany April 4, 1938 7 Claims.

The invention relates to regulating devices for electric current generators on vehicles and in particular automobile vehicles of the type wherein an approximately constant voltage is maintained up to a predetermined current strength but on this strength of current being exceeded, regulation takes place at a rapidly falling voltage, and further in which a common electromagnet provided with a current Coil and a voltage coil serves to regulate both current and voltage.

According to the present invention the regulation is eliected at constant or falling voltage by a common regulator armature in conjunction with a governor which controls the current winding of the said regulator. This arrangement has the advantage that the contacts of one regulator only are disposed in the exciting circuit of the current generator. As difficulties arise in connection with the regulator contacts in the exciting circuit, for instance owing to abrading, wearing or oxydation of the contact materials, it follows that it is advantageous to have the contacts of only one regulator, and not two, in the exciting circuit.

The invention is more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate diagrammatically constructional forms by way of example in Figures 1-4 respectively.

Figure 1 shows a combined cutout and governor having a common electromagnet and a separate regulator.

Figure 2 shows a combined cutout and governor having a common armature, and a separesents an electric lighting dynamo with a field winding 2 and a resistance 3. 4 is a battery and 5 a current consuming device. An electromagnetic core 6, with a voltage winding or coil 1 and a current winding or coil 8, has two armatures 9 and I0 which respectively operate contacts II, II and I2, I2. An electromagnet I3 with a voltage coil I 4 and a current coil I5 has an armature I 6 which operates contacts I1, I'I.

One end of the current coil I5 is connected to the fixed contact I2.

I I, I I are the contacts of an automatic charging switch. I2, I2 are the contacts of controlling overnor, and I7, I I the contacts of the regulator. From the magnet frame of the electromagnet core 6 a lead I8 leads to the magnet frame of the electromagnet I3.

In the position of rest shown in the drawings the contacts I I, II and I2, I2 are open and the contacts I1, I? closed. By the contact I1, I! the following branch of a circuit, which includes the resistance 3, is closed; namely, the positive brush of the dynamo I, the current coil 8, the frame of the electromagnet core 6, the lead I8, the fram of electromagnet I3, the armature IS, the contacts I'l, I1, the lead [9, the field winding 2, and ground.

As soon as the dynamo I produces sufiicient voltage the armature 9 of the charging switch is drawn down by the voltage coil I and closes the contacts II, II. Consequently the following circuit is closed, viz.: ground, armature of the dynamo I, current coil 8, frame of the electromagnet 6, armature 9, contacts II, II, battery 4, ground. By this means the battery 4 is charged by the dynamo I.

As the voltage of the dynamo rises the armature I6 of the regulator is attracted by the voltage coil I4, which causes an opening of the contacts H, H, so that the resistance 3 is switched into the exciting circuit of the dynamo I. In this way the regulator acts as a vibrating regulator and maintains an even voltage until a given strength of current is attained.

The current coil 8 assists the voltage coil 1 in energising the electromagnet 6. As soon as the current from the dynamo I reaches a given strength, the armature ID of the control governor is so strongly attracted that it closes the contacts I2, I2. This causes the current coil I5 of the regulator to be switched in, in parallel with the current coil 8 of the electromagnet 5. By this means the current coil [5 energises the electromagnet I3 in the same Way as its voltage coil I4. Consequently the regulator produces a suddenly falling voltage corresponding with rising current. The control governor Works in the manner of a vibrating regulator and its armature I0 opens and closes the contacts I2, I2 in rapid succession.

It will be seen that the two current coils 8 and I5 are in parallel branches of the main armature circuit, or charging circuit, the branch which includes the current coil 8 being continuous or uninterrupted, whereas the branch which includes the current coil I5 is interrupted at the contacts I 2 of the control governor when said contacts are open. When the control governor closes the contacts l2, the current divides between the two branches, a part passing through the current coil l5, which means there is a reduction in the current passing through the current coil 8, sothat it may no longer hold the control governor in the position. to close the contacts I2. Hence, these are opened again, and the full current again flows through current coil 8, which. being strengthened may again operate the control governor to close the contacts. l2, which again reduces the current through current coil 8 and may again cause the opening of the contacts 12. In this way, a vibration of the armature of the control governor takes place. This is very important because the current coil l vibrates the voltage regulator to open and close repeatedly its contacts H in the resistor shunt circuit, thus making the voltage regulator a vibrating one which keeps a close control over the dynamo voltage.

The only contacts in the exciting circuit of the dynamo I are the regulator contacts II, which preferably consist of high grade contact material such as for instance tungsten. On the otherhand' the contacts [2 of the control gOV- ernor' can consist of ordinary contact material, such as silver, as the load on them is slight. In the arrangement shown in Figure 2 the armatures' of the automatic charging switch and the control governor are combined in one armature 20. When the armature is attracted, the contacts I t, H of the charging switch are first closed, and when the given current strength is exceeded, the armature 20 operates the contacts I2; [2- of the control governor. For this purpose the contacts II, II are so arranged that they remain closed, even when the armature 20, in operating-the contacts l2, l2 oscillates to and fro in the manner of a vibrating regulator.

Fig. 3 shows afurther simplified arrangement in which a single electromagnet 2| is provided for the charging switch, the control governor and the regulator. This carries a voltage coil 22; while the current coils 8 and [5 are disposed on the two arms of the magnet frame, so that they control. the flux lines through the appropriate armature Z'O' or" [5 as the case may be.

The arrangement seen in Fig. 4 is intended for use with dynamos which work in parallel on a common system. It rarelyoccurs that regulators applied to different dynamos maintain identical voltage outputs for a substantial time. In such cases a reverse current flows from the dynamo having the higher voltage to that having the lower voltage with the'result that the charging switch of the latter opens. Under the influence of the voltage coil, however, this switch immediately closes again. The charging switch then opens and closes its contacts in rapid succession, so that the contacts are heavily loaded and prematurely wear out. To prevent this the contact arrangement seen in Fig. 4 is applied to thecontrol regulator. For the sake of simpli city theform of construction set out in Fig. 1 is here resorted to.

The. moving contact l2 of the control regulator is disposed between a fixed contact 23 and a fixed contact 2'4 connected to the latter. In the position of rest the moving contact 12 rests onthe'c'ontact 24, which however is not important. Then as soon as the. dynamo commences excited, the armature I01 is attracted and. the

moving contact I2 raised from the contact 24 and is temporarily maintained in an intermediate position between contacts 23 and 24. The regulating device can thus work in the same Way as the arrangement described in connection with Fig. 1.

However, if a current flows to the dynamo i from a dynamo (not Shown) which is disposed in parallel thereto, whose regulator is maintaining a higher voltage, then a reverse current flows through the current coil 8. Consequently the magnetisation of the electromagnet 6 is reduced in such ratio that the armature 9 remains attracted and the contacts H, H are held closed, but the armature Ill returns to its position of rest and the contact l2 operated by it comes to rest on the contact 24. Consequently a reverse current flows through the current coil l5 of the regulator also. The current coil l'5 therefore works against the voltage coil l4, so that the regulator permits a higher voltage to be. generated by dynamo I, which corresponds to, the.- voltage of. the. other. dynamo. Consequently the reverse current flowing into the dynamo I is limited to a small amount, which does not. openthe; charging switching. The above mentioned opening and closing of the latter in rapid succession cantherefore not arise.

In this. arrangement the interconnected compensating windings 0n the regulators, usuallyprovided in parallel working, can be omitted. These have the disadvantage that in the case of dynamos disposed at some distance from one another longconnecting leads are necessary, the arranging of which is, in many cases, diflicult.

In the. same way the control regulators shown in Figures 2- and 3, can also be provided with acontact 24.

I. declare, that what I claim is:

1. In a storage battery charging system comprising a shunt dynamo, a resistor in the shunt field circuit in series with the armature and field coil.v av short circuit around the resistor, a storage. battery, and circuits energized by the armature, a battery cutout device'havinga mag:- netic circuit, aregulator switch device having a magnetic. circuit and; arranged to open and close the resistor short circuit, means for producing voltage fields in'the magnetic circuits of the cutout device and the regulator switch device respectively, varying with the voltage of the armature circuit, acurrent. coil included in the armature circuit between the cutout contacts andthe armature for energizingv the magnetic circuit of the battery cutout device, a current coil for the electromagnetic circuit of the regulator switch device, a branch circuit in parallel with the current coil which energizes the battery cutout device and including the current coil of the regulator switch device, said branch being open only at the battery cutout device, and means actuated by the electromagnetic field of the battery cutout device for first closing the battery onto the armaure circuit at a predetermined minimum voltage 7 in excess of maximum battery counter voltage and thereafter closing the circuit of the regulator current coil, whereby the introduction of the regulator current coil into action and putting it out of action is controlled both by the current and by the voltage of the armature circuit at the battery'cutout device.

2. A storage battery charging system including a dynamo comprising an armature and a field coil, a shunt resistance device, a shunt circuit around the armature including said resistance and the field coil, 1;. storage battery, a series coil, a main circuit including the armature, the storage battery and said series coil, said circuit being open between the series coil and the storage battery, a voltage coil shunted across the circuit between the armature and the series coil, a branch from the main circuit in parallel with the said series coil, and open at its end away from the armature, a second series coil included in said branch between said opening and the armature, a second voltage coil in a shunt be tween the second series coil and the armature, a shunt-resistance short-circuiting conductor connected to the main circuit between its series coil and the opening therein, also connected to the branch beyond the opening therein and terminating at the shunt field circuit between the shunt-resistance device and the field coil, said short circuit conductor having an opening, an electromagnetic device normally closing the opening in the short circuit conductor and arranged to be energized to open by the said second voltage coil and also to be energized later by the second series coil so as to remain open when the latter coil is energized by the closing of the opening in its branch, a normally open electromagnet switch at the opening in the main circuit between its series coil and the storage battery, said latter switch being energized by the cooperation of the main circuit series coil and the coacting voltage coil to close the opening in the main circuit to charge the battery when the voltage is at a predetermined value in excess of the battery counter voltage, and to open said main circuit when the voltage is less than said predetermined value, and a normally open electromagnetic switch actuated by the cutout coils to close the opening in the branch circuit to energize the second series coil and thereby hold the switch in the short circuit conductor open, said electromagnetic switch for the branch being energized to close only after the voltage in the main circuit has risen beyond that necessary to close the storage battery onto the main circuit.

3. In a regulating system for an electric generator combined with a battery, the combination with a shunt dynamo including an armature, a field coil and a resistor in series with each other; a storage battery; a charging circuit including the storage battery and the armature of the dynamo, and in parallel with the field coil and resistor of the dynamo; an electromagnetic charging switch having circuit opening and closing contact devices arranged to control the charging circuit and having resilient means tending to open said contact devices, and a current coil in the charging circuit between the charging switch and the dynamo, of a resistor shunt circuit in series with the field coil of the dynamo and in parallel with the resistor of the dynamo and with the contact device of the charging switch; an electromagnetic voltage regulator having circuit opening and closing contact devices for openin the said shunt circuit and provided with resilient means tending to maintain said shunt circuit closed; a branch conductor connected to the charging circuit to form a shunt around the said current coil of the charging circuit, said branch conductor being in series with the dynamo armature and with the contacts of the regulator when said branch conductor is closed; a current coil in the said branch conductor, in parallel with the current coil in the charging circuit; an electromagnetic governor device having contacts arranged to open and close the current path through said branch conductor and having resilient means tending to maintain said contacts open, said current coil in the charging circuit being arranged when energized to influence the charging switch and the governor device in the direction of closing them, said current coil in the branch circuit being arranged when energized to influence the regulator in the direction of opening it; voltagecoil-means, responsive to changes in dynamo voltage, and arranged to influence the regulator to open the resistor shunt circuit, and to influence the charging switch and the controlling governor to close the charging circuit and the branch circuit, respectively, the charging switch and the controlling governor being constructed and arranged to close their respective circuits seriatim, in the order named, and to open said circuits in reverse order by the action of their respective resilient opening means.

4. In a regulating system for an electric generator combined with a battery, the combination, with a shunt dynamo including an armature, a field coil, and a resistor in series with each other; a storage battery; a charging circuit including the storage battery and the dynamo armature and in parallel with the resistor and field coil of the dynamo, said charging circuit having two parallel branches, one uninterrupted and the other interrupted; a resistor shunt circuit in series with the field coil of the dynamo and in parallel with the resistor of the dynamo; and an electromagnetic device including means for closing the charging circuit over its uninterrupted branch and thereafter closing its interrupted branch, resilient means tending to open said circuits in reverse order, and a current coil located in the uninterrupted branch of the charging circuit for influencing said electromagnetic device to close; of a second electromagnetic device including means for opening the resistor shunt circuit, resilient means tending to close said circuit, and a current coil located in the interrupted branch of the charging circuit in parallel with the current coil in the uninterrupted branch of the charging circuit for influencing said second electromagnetic device to open; and voltage-coilmeans responsive to changes in voltage of the dynamo, arranged to energize both electromagnetic devices to influence them to operate in opposition to their respective resilient means.

5. In a regulating system for an electric generator combined with a battery, the combination, with a shunt dynamo including an armature, a field coil, and a resistor in series with each other;

e a storage battery; a charging circuit including the storage battery and the dynamo armature and in parallel with the resistor and field coil of the dynamo, said charging circuit having two parallel branches, one uninterrupted and the I other interrupted; a resistor shunt circuit in series with the field coil of the dynamo and in parallel with the resistor of the dynamo; a current coil in the uninterrupted branch of the charging circuit; and a current coil in the interrupted branch of the said charging circuit, said uninterrupted, branch of the charging circuit for controlling the current to the storage battery; and voltage-coil-mea-ns responsive to variations in dynamo voltage and arranged to supplement th magnetic fields of the respective current coils, the battery cutout device and the governor device being constructed and arranged to close their respective circuits in the order in which they have just been named. and to open them in the reverse order.

6. In a regulating system for an electric generator combined with a battery, the combination, with a shunt dynamo including an armature, a field coil, and a resistor in series with each other; a storage battery; a charging circuit including the storage battery and the dynamo armature and in parallel with the resistor and field coil of the dynamo, said charging circuit having two parallel branches, one uninterrupted and the other interrupted; a resistor shunt circuit in series with the field coil of the dynamo and in parallel with the resistor of the dynamo; a current coil in the uninterrupted branch of the charging circuit; and a current coil in the interrupted branch of the said charging circuit, said 1;

coils being in parallel; of an electromagnetic governor device energized by the magnetic field of the current coil in the uninterrupted branch to close the interrupted branch; an electromagnetic regulating device energized by the magnetic field of the current coil inv the interrupted branch of the charging circuit for controlling the resistor shunt circuit to control the voltage of the dynamo, a battery cutout device also energized by the current coil in the uninterrupted branch of the charging circuit for controlling the current to the storage battery, and two voltage coils perma nently connected to the charging circuit, each being arranged to combine its magnetic field with its respective current coil, the battery cutout device and the governor device being constructed and arranged to close their respective circuits in the order in which. they have just been named and to open them in the reverse order.

7. In a regulating system for an electric generator combined with a battery, the combination, with a shunt dynamo including an armature, a. field coil, and a resistor in series with each other; a storage battery; a charging circuit including the storage battery and the dynamo armature and in parallel with the resistor and field coil of the dynamo, said charging circuit having two parallel branches, one uninterrupted and the other interrupted; and a resistor shunt circuit in series with therfield coil of the dynamo and in parallel with the resistor of the dynamo; of an electromagnetic control mechanism including three sets of contacts, two magnetic circuits with one part in common, two movable armatures, each included in its respective magnetic circuit, and resilient means tending to hold each armature in its retracted position, one armature being arranged, when retracted, to close contacts included in the resistor shunt circuit and to open them when attracted, the other armature being arranged when retracted to open two sets of contacts and when attracted to close said sets seriatim, the set first closed and last opened being included in the charging circuit to control the current to the battery, the other set of contacts which is last closed and first opened being included in the interrupted branch of the chargin circuit to close and open the interruption therein, two current coils, in parallel with each other, one included in the interrupted branch and arranged to energize the magnetic circuit Which operates the armature controlling the resistor shunt circuit, the other current coil being included in the uninterrupted branch of the charging circuit and arranged to energize the magnetic circuit which operates that armature controlling the two circuits as aforesaid, and a voltage coil, connected in series with the dynamo armature and responsive tovariations of dynamo voltage, said voltage. coil being arranged at the common part of the twormagnetic circuits to energize both in a direction to assist the respective current coils in attracting the corresponding armatures.

FRIEDRICH MENZEL. 

